One of the limitations of CRM systems is that they locate your organisation at the centre of a network – a hub with a lot of spokes.
But have you tried mapping the organisations around you that you are NOT yet connected with but share interests, constraints or critical dependencies with? You will find that doing so radically improves your approach to business development, and transforms your growth.
Put another way, rather than assuming that you’re at the centre of everything, try mapping where you want to be, and then figuring out which other organisations and individuals are well placed to help you become more “central”.
This kind of mapping can work for both internal and external analysis. For a simple example, here is a map of a group I recently assembled to explore shared interest in a number of overlapping themes. The map has enabled several of the organisations represented to collaborate on a range of projects.